Moments in Midnight
by nanu107
Summary: A glimpse to a family moment...


**Moments in Midnight**

Author's Ramblings: I had a fanfic fan (weir to say but it's true; I have a fan!) come over to my house and actually say this:_ So ehrm… WHEN ARE YOUFINISHING YOUR STORIES! _  
>I laughed of course and, after cowering for a while in fear of getting murdered and sold as dumplings, decided that I should probably quit this whole <em>fanfic-writer-or-death<em> nonsense. It's just a quick thought, don't' worry I'm still considering it…  
>Oh by the way; please-oh-pretty-please don't flame me for this. I wrote it around two years ago and just fish it out of my old hard drive. I just gave it a few touches and decided to post it as is.<br>NO more will be posted for this particular storyline, just this… lovely bit.  
>And yes, I am procrastinating from my other fic <em>(Sorcerer's Apprentice) Monster in the Closet<em>.  
>Enjoy!<p>

The baby was crying.

Gourry was dimly aware of the space beside him been cold and while the baby continued to cry, he groggily lifted his head and touched said place. He was alone, in bed, again.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, the swordsman sat up on bed, and still listening to his child's cries, wondered to himself where Lina was. That was until a sob, that wasn't that of a child, reached his ears. Panic reached him, and he was fully awake and walking down the hallway of their small three bedroom house quickly. The child wasn't in the nursery, as he had suspected, but the crying came from the living room. Hurrying, once again, Gourry walked quickly through the dark house, knowing the outlines by heart, and walked right into the most beautiful scene he'd ever seen.

Ok, one of the many beautiful scenes he'd ever seen.

He'd seen many while traveling with Lina; the glorious sunrise over Seylune, the cold peaks of the Mountain of Tears, the wide rivers the large green and brown forests. Even the center of volcanoes, and the majestic beauty of king's palaces. But nothing compared this...

Lina was on her nightgown, a little red and white number she'd bought recently to sleep in. Her hair was a mess, as it usually was when she got up during the night, and her feet were bare. Gourry watched his wife cradling his child, who was still crying loudly, as her mother cried softly against the baby's small head. Gourry's heart wrenched and softened, and he was moving before he wanted to. His soul had wanted to bask in the mere view of the two girls that stole his heart for a while longer... But they both needed comfort and that was something he would make sure to never deny. Lina had not noticed him arrive, and actually jumped when he wrapped around her. A gasp was heard, but the sob that shook her swallowed it, what made Gourry worry.

The baby continued to cry, as Gourry took her from Lina's arms and held it with his left arm. Laria Inverse-Gabriev smelled her father and crying and leaned onto his shoulder, little lugs proving to be as healthy at her mothers, as Lina turned to his right shoulder and sobbed as well.

"I can't quiet her down! I don't know what's wrong!"

Gourry couldn't help but smile. These two would sure be a handful to keep calm in the years to come. An image formed in his head, these two fighting and then crying and asking forgiveness to one another, and he walking into the scene to have to console them both. He wasn't sure whether he longed or dreaded the moment...

He turned to little Laria and saw her sobbing. Lina's nightgown was parted slightly on it's top, meaning she'd tried to breastfeed the child with no results, there were toys scattered around and probably Lina tried to sing to her. In the moonlight Gourry inspected his child; she wasn't running a fever, he would tell she was freshly bathed, she didn't seem sick anyway, and wasn't hungry. Then he did something his mother had teach him a few years before leaving home. He put his finger in the baby's mouth and rubbed the child's gums...

The baby's gums were swollen. Her teeth were about to come out and they itched.

_All you have to do is give the baby something to chew on so it can stop the itch, _said his mother's soft voice in the distance of a memory_. _Gourry chuckled. Such words he thought he would never use from his mother. Lina still sobbing, but now besides him, Gourry searched about the baby's toys and found a toy Amelia had brought in her last visit. It was a large star with little bumps, he quickly picked it up, made sure it wasn't dirty (in the pale moonlight, what made Lina scold) and place it on his daughter's mouth.

As if an act of magic, that Lina was very fond of doing to keep the child calm, the baby quieted down and chew on her toy.

Smiling, Gourry turned to Lina, whose own sobs were subsiding. "Why did you...?"

"Her teeth are coming out." And he related to Lina how he'd helped his mother care for a younger brother. How the baby would scream and keep the entire household awake until the proper toy to chew on was handed. "Hopefully she'd fall asleep soon."

And that she did.

Laria Gabriev Inverse was quite the handful during the day and within minutes, toy still in her mouth, fell asleep. "Let's make sure she's probably tucked in, toy in hand." He suggested to his wife, who was cleaning her eyes with little fists, and led them both to the nursery.

Lina just watched as her husband placed the child on the crib, covered her tiny body (which seemed even smaller in his arms) and placed the bumpy toy close by just in case the child woke. Once again she had another reason to be glad; she was married to a wonderfully, slightly dumb, loving man. But his good things always outweighed the bad things, right?

"All done," He said turning to her, a sleepy smile on his wonderfully tasty lips. When was the last time she'd properly kissed those lips? "Let's tuck you in then." He said nearing her, but Lina placed her hand on his chest, feeling the muscle there with the tips of her fingers, and lifted to her tiptoes. Kisses between them had become small pecks, they were usually so busy with the child, the store, traveling, hunting, the house... This kiss was especial because it remained her of their first.

It was soft, not demanding, just showing him how much love there was still trapped within her. A small incentive of love. Gourry was still as he received the kiss and when it was over and she pulled back, Lina was astonished to find him surprised. Had it been _that_ long then? But then he smiled, that wonderfully lost smile of his, and wrapped around her, leaning to give her his undemanding kiss. Which was a perfect copy of hers.

Lina smiled against the kiss, and then felt his forehead press against her.

"Lina."

"Hmm?"

"I'm having thoughts that one shouldn't have in a nursery."

That had Lina smiling.

"You said something about tucking me in."

"I did, didn't I?"

And he kissed her again, this time a contained kiss, something she'll have just to pull the lid off, and lead her to their bedroom. Lina's stomach was full of butterflies, L-sama only knows why, as his hand found the small of her back; such a simple act send bolts of energy up and down her body and she almost collapsed there, on the hallway. But he was steady, and that kept her going; either that or this sudden need to be with him.

The hallway extender for longer than usual, even when it was a few feet long, and he could cover them with two strides of his well toned legs. Oh, L-sama, why was it that she could only think about the way he moved?

"We're here." He announced against her ear, hands wrapping around her hips. Lina was oddly aware of his warmth, his musky scent. The tresses of golden hair falling over her shoulders... It's been too long. Way too long.

Suddenly she felt shy, as if scared to show him what pregnancy had done with her already lithe body. The aftershocks of such a pregnancy were devastating to her, and she afraid he wouldn't like it. After all she didn't feel the same way towards her body. Gourry seemed to sense this, and moving the sleeve past her shoulder set a chaste kiss on her skin. "Would you rather rest? I'll understand..."

"No!" She turned, eyes locking with his. "I'll just..."

Gourry leaned and kissed her lips, rather hungrily. Lina melted into the kiss and felt his hands fisting the nightgown under the small of her back. He wore nothing but his pajama pants and was breathing heavily. Soon enough she was lifting her arms so the nightgown could be removed, and her skin as hot as it was because of summer, pressed against his even hotter flesh. Gourry hissed sounding almost as a hurt beast, as her arms circled his neck, her breast tight against his chest.

"I want you."

"Gourry..." His kisses covered her face, they were little tributes to his fire goddess he'd once murmured. And moved down her neck, but not before nibbling her earlobe. "Gourry..."

"Should I stop?" He asked huskily, unable to know how erotic his low voice was for her. How it ignited little fireworks up and down her body. But most especially how it pooled her need in a certain spot.

"If you stop I'll Dragon Slave you to the next life."

"Mmm, then you better learn to cast resurrection, because I know you'll regret it." And he was kissing her pulse point. Damn him, and damn how well he knew her! She chuckled and gasped as his palms lifted and held her back straight, so her breast were pressed firmly against him. The moment of unbearable tension made Lina look up and lock eyes with Gourry who smiled at her warmly. "I've missed _you_, Lina. Gods, I've missed _you_."

And that did it.

Lina pulled from Gourry and shoved him to bed. He landed with an undignified huff and stared at her for a moment, recovering quickly. Gourry frowned and stared at her; Lina stared at him in surprise, probably even regret and there was a pause in their activities to just watch each other in the moment's heat…

"And here I thought this would be just a quiet session of lovemaking." Nervously Lina started laughing and climbed on top of him, naked beyond the strap of cloth she dared call underwear and kissed his mouth while trying to hold back her laughter. "I guess we are both very eager, right?" Again she chuckled and kissed him, Lina leaned against his neck, knowing that the night was still very young and their love warm still; Gourry seemed to understand and wrapped his arms around her kissing the top of her head.

These moments in midnight were becoming quite common between them, not the usual heated passionate moments they had during their honey moon, or those tense terrible moments in which they ignored each other because of their fights. No; this moments were moments of comfort and relaxations, just moments of being together as a couple, not as parents or workers or… whatever they were. They were husband and wife here, nothing more.

"I love you." What fitting moment to say these words, what thick powerful yet elusive and delicate sliver of time.

Lina lifted, looked at him and smiled. "I love you too."

They kissed, finally resuming the need to …

The baby started crying.

Someone groaned, probably both of them, and Gourry remained dropped over the bed while Lina pressed her forehead against his chest. "Maybe, just maybe, if we stay…"

"No, her gums must be itching again."

Lina was lifted from him, tenderly so, and Gourry smiled. "I'll take care of it. I have a few other tricks up my sleeve."

"You have no sleeves."

"Just… don't fall asleep alright?"

"I'll try."

After finally getting the baby to sleep, when Gourry returned to his room, he found Lina asleep on his side of the bed. _Famous last words_. As Gourry got into bed he smiled, and very gently, he wrapped around Lina and kissed her red hair. These moments in midnight were worth to him more than gold itself.


End file.
